Elder Vern P. Stanfill to speak at winter commencement.

The university will award 1,872 bachelor's degrees and 445 associate degrees.

March 30, 2018Writer: Brett Crandall

Elder Vern P. Stanfill, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will address 2,297 graduates at Brigham Young University-Idaho’s 2018 Winter Semester Commencement on Friday, April 13, 2018. The event will be held at 5:45 p.m. in the BYU-Idaho Center.

The university will award 1,872 bachelor's degrees and 445 associate degrees. Of the graduates, 1,347 are women and 950 are men. More than 50 percent have served as missionaries for the Church.

Elder Vern P. Stanfill was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2015. After his call as a General Authority, he served as Second Counselor in the Africa West Area Presidency. He is currently serving at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Elder Stanfill received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Brigham Young University. He started his career managing his family’s ranch, which involved large cattle, hay, and grain operations. He sold this business in 1998 and began managing family assets and trusts. As an aircraft pilot, Elder Stanfill has been involved in aviation for both business and pleasure.

Elder Stanfill has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the France Toulouse Mission, executive secretary, elders quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, high priest group leader, and stake president.

Vern Perry Stanfill was born in Townsend, Montana, on August 8, 1957. He married Alicia Cecile Cox in December 1980. They are the parents of four children.